Andante Travels

Introduction

From the fierce debate which raged during the 19th century about the age and authenticity of decorated caves, to the most recent scientific research, the Dordogne has been at the centre of study of prehistory for many years.

The art in question belongs to the period approximately between 40,000 BC to 10,000 BC. To many, this period (known as the late Pleistocene) is so remote that it is difficult to envisage man as anything more than a ‘squat grunting savage’. However, we know that primitive forms of human had been making stone tools for more than 2 million years, and that Homo sapiens, the modern form of humankind to which we belong, evolved nearly 100,000 years ago. Between that time and the phase of cave decoration, Neanderthal man and his associated stone industries had come and gone, so that by 35,000 BC an advanced society of hunting and gathering humans of modern form was sufficiently well-established to combat the rigours of the final extreme cold phase of the Ice Age. With the amelioration of climate after 10,000 BC, an artistic tradition that had lasted an almost unbelieveable 25,000 years ceased.

Our journey will take us through the verdant landscapes and limestone plateaux - causses - of the Dordogne valley to see the best accessible original examples of engraving, sculpture and painting made over a period of 20,000 years. We also include the excellent facsimiles at Lascaux and Angles-sur-l’Anglin, with its relatively recently-discovered sculpted frieze.

Itinerary

Day One
By Eurostar and local rail to Brive La Gaillarde and drive to Les Eyzies.

Day Two
Cave shelter at Cap Blanc, a rare example of Ice Age sculpted bas-reliefs, the best in situ which are open to the public. The cast of a skeleton of a young Magdalenian lady lies in front of the frieze, a burial in what seems to be a place of honour, in front of the central horse.
Continue to the park at Le Thot, where animals which would have been extant in the Ice Age are bred and kept. Then to the facsimile of the world famous painted cave at Lascaux, long since closed to the public. This is the most famous and spectacular of all decorated caves, best-known perhaps for its 600 depictions of aurochsen, horses, deer and variety of signs, although there are also almost 1,500 engravings in the cave.

Day Three
Drive south towards Gourdon to see two geologically beautiful caves. The first is Pech Merle, with painted black outline aurochs, mammoth and spotted horses. The art here has been assigned to three distinct phases, the earliest showing circles, dots and outlines of hands, and including the ‘spotted horses’. The second phase includes figures made by  finger-tracings on the ceiling as well as 40 black outline drawings. The last phase includes engravings, the most famous of which is a bear’s head.
There are two caves at Cougnac, one of which has been decorated by humans and one by nature. This latter also contains the claw-marks of cave bears. We see mammoth, ibex, human-type figures and three megaloceros, many of which take advantage of the natural shapes of the cave wall which may have suggested them. It seems that the frieze was intended to be seen by people on the other side of the chamber, and some of the stalagmites and stalactites have been deliberately broken to make it more visible.

Day Four
Begin the day at the Palaeolithic site of Le Moustier, the important typesite for Neanderthal occupation which produced several burials.
After lunch we visit two caves close by. The long, narrow cave at Les Combarelles the walls of which were engraved between 14,000 and 12,000 BC with hundreds of animals, including a cave lion. Font de Gaume is the only decorated cave in France with polychrome paintings which remains open to the public, and the paintings here are very beautiful. Most of the figures are a few thousand years older than those at Les Combarelles. On entering the cave one sees a whole series of large bison which are both engraved and painted and use the natural shape of the cave wall to give a 3D effect. (Only 6 people at a time are allowed in the first, and 12 at a time into the second, so inevitably there will be some waiting as the coach shuttles between the sites.)

Day Five
Visit to Laugerie Haute, with remains of occupations dating from the Upper Palaeolithic. The small rock shelter known as Abri du Poisson is famed for the bas-relief of a male salmon across the ceiling, more than 1m in length. It was once painted red.  
Return to Les Eyzies to visit the National Museum of Prehistory and the scientific excavation at Abri Pataud which is attempting to trace the progress of man and his art through the millennia.

Day Six
Visit Bernifal cave (still no electric light here). Its importance for us lies in the representations of mammoth and tectiforms.
Visit the colourful and extensive Saturday market in Sarlat over lunchtime.
By electric train into the cave system of Rouffignac, more than 5 miles long and quite different from any of the other caves we visit, having no stalactites and stalagmites. About one-third of all mammoth depictions known from cave art come from this cave, which is also known for the many traces of cave bear within it. Huge quantities of bear bones have been found as well as the hollows made by hibernating bears.

Day Seven
Long drive north to Poitiers. This afternoon we aim to visit the new Prehistoric museum at Lussac (it is scheduled to be open by then) and either the Romanesque church at St Savin or the museum at Pressigny, site of the important source of top-quality flint in perhistoric Europe (order of visits tbc).

Day Eight
Newly opened facsimile at Angles-sur-l’Anglin. This is the greatest sculpted frieze that we have from the Ice Age, with life-size ibex, as well as several human females, bison, horses, cats.

Day Nine
Train from Poitiers to Paris, Eurostar to London.

Note: Not all the paintings are hidden in deep caves - some are in rock shelters with good views of the terrain. No walking sticks or touching of walls.

Included

WHAT’S INCLUDED

• Trains Train from London St Pancras to Brive La Gaillarde via Paris; return from Poitiers to London St Pancras via Lille.
• Local Travel Private a/c coach.
• Meals All dinners included (with wine and water); lunches included on Days 2, 3, 7 & 8.
• Guide Lecturer Not to be confused with "guest lecturers"!  The guide lecturer will be with you from breakfast to supper, and probably even a drink in the bar afterwards.  There is the occasional site where they may not be allowed to guide because of local regulations (we normally manage to circumnavigate these) but otherwise the guides are just that.
• They will have been chosen because of specialist knowledge and their ability to communicate and interest you.  After 22 years of making tours worldwide, we are highly appreciative of the attributes of a good guide, and intensely critical of people who do not possess them.  If you would like to know more about Dr Paul Bahn, please click on his name.
• Tour Manager We never know how best to call the very special people whom we choose to accompany you on your tour.  They are usually employed in this capacity only by us, and have been trained to do things in the Andante way - unobtrusive, friendly and quietly efficient.
• Fieldnotes Cave Art: A Guide to the Decorated Ice Age Caves of Europe by Paul Bahn (Frances Lincoln Publishers, 2007).
• Entry to all sites in programme.
  
• Tips included.

Trains & Visa

Train from London St Pancras to Brive La Gaillarde via Paris; return from Poitiers to London St Pancras via Lille.

(Wheeled suitcases useful, and you should be able to carry your own luggage a short way even if there are steps.)

Visa and Passport Requirements (for British passport holders only)*

Hotels

Map

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Comments

What Did You Enjoy Most About This Tour?

I knew a little before I joined you but the amount of interest and knowledge provided was a delight. Also the company of likeminded travellers. Also our tour leader was the best I've had anywhere.

This was a fascinating tour, both above and below ground.

To experience cave art in situ (as against learning about it from books) was a revelation. And of course to have such an expert on hand to provide context, background information and the latest theories and speculation was gratifying.

Opened up a new area of knowledge for me. People, both the guide, manager, driver, hotel people - but importantly, all who came on the tour. All so interesting and friendly, and in many cases, knowledgeable about the subject.

The thing that makes this tour for me is the combination of all the cave visits.  To see the cave art up so close is a very intimate experience, one that cannot but make me feel close to the prehistoric artists.  The holiday creates a very strong feeling of connection across millennia and that is what I value.  Thank you all very much.

Reading List

This list is no more than a guide to some books that you may find useful to read in advance of the tour. Talks given on the tour will attempt to fill in the background to what we are seeing, so no prior knowledge or pre-tour cramming is expected or needed. In many cases, we expect that you will find some of these books even more interesting and useful to read once the tour is over.  Some of the books are out of print, but in many cases they can be obtained through second-hand booksellers or your local library.

* A month before the tour departure we will be sending you a copy of:

Paul G. Bahn (2007) Cave Art: A Guide to the Decorated Ice Age Caves of Europe. Frances Lincoln.

..................................................................................................................

Paul Bahn & Jean Vertut (1997) Journey through the Ice Age, Weidenfeld & Nicholson

The most recent of the Cave Art/Upper Palaeolithic books - lively and readable.

Barry Cunliffe (ed) 1998  Prehistoric Europe: an Illustrated History, O.U.P

A beautifully illustrated survey of the whole of European Prehistory, with a chapter on the Upper Palaeolithic by Paul Mellars.

Evan Hadingham (1980) Secrets of the Ice Age, Book Club Associates

A highly readable and lively account of Palaeolithic societies, and the context of the art.

Andre Leroi-Gourhan (1968) The Art of Prehistoric Man in Western Europe, Thames & Hudson.

This is probably the classic source for specialists.  It is rather big and (slightly) technical, but beautifully illustrated.

Ann Sieveking (1979) The Cave Artists, Thames & Hudson.

Another very readable survey, by one of the experts in the field.

Peter Ucko and Andre Rosenfeld (1967) Palaeolithic Cave Art, World University Library.

One of the classic sources for new students.

Travel books

We recommend to you a publishing company with a mission to keep the classic works of travel literature in print. Eland and Sickle Moon Books produce an excellent catalogue of travellers' literature, old and new.

+44 (0) 20 7833 0762 - www.travelbooks.co.uk info@travelbooks.co.uk

Archaeology books

Oxbow Books, based in Oxford, are suppliers of probably the biggest range of archaeology and history books. They produce a quarterly catalogue, and can be contacted on

+44 (0)1865 241249 - www.oxbowbooks.com oxbow@oxbowbooks.com

It also always worth exploring www.abebooks.co.uk and www.museumbooks.demon.co.uk for new, secondhand and out-of-print books.

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